


Morning Coffee

by Lunarborn



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, UDSS2015, also kinda implied ash/chris more than full out ship in this, coffee shop AU, here we go :'), idk - Freeform, mike is like lowkey mentioned if u squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-07 14:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5460116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarborn/pseuds/Lunarborn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coffee Shop AU in which Sam and Jess work at said shop together and Josh starts coming in for a drink before college classes. After awhile it becomes routine, and Sam dreadfully realizes she may have a bit of a childish crush. Done for the Until Dawn Secret Santa! c:</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

The plus side to working at an unpopular coffee shop, Sam noted, was that the glass storefront made it easy to see all the passing cars and people. That allowed for something to do while she waited for her shift to be over, and there weren't many rude customers since there were barely any customers or particularly busy days at all. _Not many tips either_ , she reminded herself tiredly.

 You would think that they'd be busy, with the shop being nearby a college, students passing it every day on their way there. A Starbucks was only a block from here though, so of course almost no one bothered with the place. Jessica, Sam's good friend since high school and current college roommate, worked there with her, so at the very least she had someone to talk to.

 Currently Jess was sweeping, humming some Taylor Swift song happily to herself. Sam was handing off a coffee to a middle aged woman, smiling and wishing her a nice day. The moment she passed through the exit Sam slumped a little in her place, eyeing the near-empty tip jar sadly. She couldn't afford much as it was, and frankly she was getting sick of living off of take out and off-brand cereal.

"Don't worry, you'll get the most tips this week either way." Jess said teasingly in a sing-song voice, putting the broom away in its usual corner.

 "Oh? And what makes you say that?"

 " _Really_?" She rolled her eyes at Sam. "You're the nicest employee here, not that there _are_ many employees. You _always_ get the most tips. I mean you'd think, since I'm drop dead gorgeous, it'd be me." Her tone was playful, and she was striking a dramatic pose that was hard not to laugh at.

 Sam nodded vigorously in agreement, laughing a bit. "You should _definitely_ consider modeling, Jess."

 "Why, thank you. Don't forget though, you're pretty too. Disney princess pretty, if you ask me."

 "Flattering." Sam shot her a look. Jess stuck out her tongue in return.

 A little while later Jessica was flipping through a book, some unappealing teen romance novel from the looks of it. It was almost always just the two of them on the morning shift here. The manager was always in the back, unconcerned with everything and kept to himself. There wasn't much to take care of here, so there wasn't much for him to do anywhere else.

 The bell to the door rang unexpectedly, sounding as a tired looking man stepped in. His dark hair was a bit of a mess, matching the dark circles under his green eyes, but he couldn't be much older than they were. Jessica jumped up from her spot, ready to make what must have been the tenth cup of coffee today. Sam plastered a welcoming smile on her face.

 "Good morning! What can I get you?"

"Just a cup of black coffee please." He said quietly, placing the money down on the counter top instead of handing it to her.

 She started getting him his change, but he stopped her.

 "It's.." She could have sworn he was looking at her strangely, but he looked away before she could think much more of it. "It's fine. Keep the change."

"And can I get your name?" She wanted to kick herself the second the words left her. She didn't _need_ his name, he was the only customer in the shop, and she could hear Jessica snickering to herself as she poured his coffee.

"Um, it's Josh."

 She tried acting like she wasn't entirely embarrassed by her slip up, writing his name on the cup because at this point it would feel weird if she didn't. Once his coffee was done he took the cup from her quickly, turning and making his way over to the door. The moment he stepped out Jess was jumping up and down excitedly.

"Sam. Did you _see_ him? That boy was _so_ cute!" She was happily gripping her friend's arm, an energetic glint in her eye that worried Sam a little. To her dismay she was blushing, just a bit, but Jessica noticed. She always did.

 "I mean, _I guess_..."

"You like him, you like him!"

 "I don't even know him! I mean okay, so he's _attractive_ , it's not like he's ever coming back here! The coffee will scare him away if I didn't already."

"Nope. Not a chance, didn't you see the way he was looking at you?" Jessica sighed happily. "It was the way people look at each other in the movies. I can't wait."

"Can't wait for _what_ exactly?"

"To see you embarrass yourself in front of your new little crush again! What else?"

"Uh huh, because that'll happen."

\----

Somehow Jess had been right about one thing at least: he came back almost every day that week. And the week after. Dreadfully she realized, Josh had become a regular at the crummy coffee shop. What was worse was that Jessica may have been onto something else, around halfway through the second week he stopped leaving immediately after overpaying her and grabbing his drink.

 No, now he was actually sitting down at the tables, slowly sipping at his drink, and sometimes she caught him eyeing her like he had been that first day. Half the time Jess would decide that was the perfect time to go 'get something in the back' for a good twenty minutes. As if they needed _privacy_ or something. The silence wasn't going to be broken by him, that much was certain, and she couldn't just leave him in there. So she decided she'd try and be social.

As a result of her efforts, she had learned that he went to the college nearby, and that he was interested in film production. That he had twin sisters, that one was an amazing tennis player and artist, while the other was interested in law and possessed an unmatched wit. She learned that he never got more than five hours sleep, that his favorite color was blue and that his best friend's name was Christopher, who wanted to be a mobile app designer.

 In turn she'd ended up telling him of her love of nature, how she was attending the same college, and that she was into environmental studies. She told him of how there were no pets allowed in her apartment but she'd managed to sneak in a cat anyways. How sunflowers were her favorite and she loved the spring, how she and Jess' favorite pastime was watching horrible movies and shows and making fun of them. On around the twelfth day it dawned on her.

 Jessica was right, Sam wasn't sure why she had doubted her in the first place, she was _always_ right. But she hadn't expected to end up liking Josh this much, didn't expect to end up sharing stories with him over his morning coffee before classes. And sure she liked him, she didn't have to be interested in anything more than this weird sort of friendship they'd formed though, right? Expect she was starting to realize that she was starting to develop the"new little crush" Jess had been hinting at.

 When she'd admitted as much to herself, she knew she was doomed. She didn't believe there was a chance that he liked her too, she felt like she was forcing him to talk to her as it was. Jessica's voice nagged at her mind _So he's a little shy, it's not like you can't take initiative, Samantha!_

 And wasn't she known to be daring, known to take risks? When he walked in this morning she'd planned on casually asking him out to lunch, but the moment he walked through the door, sleepy-eyed as always, everything she'd planned on saying was gone. Her usual confidence was momentarily forgotten. Jessica was eyeing her expectantly as she handed Sam his usual order, because she wasn't handing him the cup, wasn't moving. She panicked. Sam hadn't written anything on his cup since that first embarrassing encounter, but as discreetly as she could manage she scrawled her phone number onto the cup, at a loss for words.

 He was running late this time, and he rushed out the door when she handed it to him. The fact that he even bothered with coffee with the rush he was in had her smiling. From the looks of it he didn't see the writing right away, and it worried her. What if he didn't notice and threw away the cup? What if he did notice, and he wasn't interested in the least, didn't like her at all? Worry continued to plague her for the entirety of her day, after her shift, in her classes, on her afternoon jog, even when she was dragging her feet up the stairs to her and Jessica's shared apartment.

 It was reckless, she hadn't thought this through, and now she'd gone and probably scared away a rare regular. What was worse was that she couldn't bring herself to particularly care about that detail, whether or not she'd unintentionally pushed him out her life was what she was truly concerned with. And what was she thinking anyways? He wasn't a part of her life, not really. He took morning classes at the nearby college and stopped at her work for coffee. That was why they even talked at all, she always started those conversations, he always finished them. Conversations they'd only been having for two weeks. Sam hadn't known him longer than two weeks.

 She was well aware that she was most likely over thinking this entire situation, just as she was aware of Jess eyeing her worriedly from across the couch. They were watching some bad reality TV show, or at least they were supposed to be, it was playing on the screen. Instead Sam's eyes were directed at a point on the wall above the television, and Jess was watching _her._

"What's up with you today?" There was a knowing and determined look in her eyes and a curious concern in her voice. Which meant there was no getting out of this, yet Sam still felt inclined to try.

 "What are you talking about? I'm fine Jess, I've just got this big exam tomorrow and I've been studying this past week but-"

"Sam, _please_. Do you honestly think you can lie to me? I've seen pre-exam Sam and this isn't her," she shut off the TV and turned to her. "And I saw you scribbling your number down on a coffee cup for your sleepy friend Josh."

"Oh shit, you _saw_ that?" She groaned.

 "You're lucky he was in such a hurry, otherwise I think he would have too. I mean, I'm sure that's the point but you look like maybe you're regretting it?"

"You could say that. The moment he sees that cup he's going to blacklist our shop for sure."

 "He _likes_ you! He keeps giving you that look, and you two talk it up every time he comes in! Do you honestly think he somehow despises you?"

"We only talk because I practically force him into a conversation!" She exclaimed.

 "I don't know if you've noticed this, but every time I try to say a single word to that boy he looks like he's being tortured. He might be a little awkward when you two are talking but he actually _talks_ to you, a lot, and you really think that's nothing?"

"I just...don't think he's interested. Maybe we do talk a lot when he's there, but I've only known him for two weeks and I think I might have messed up."

"Hey, don't jump to any conclusions. I know I've said it a million times by now, but I have a feeling about this. I might be wrong, and if that's the case then I'm sure he isn't just going to up and disappear because you gave him your number." Jessica pulled her into a hug, and she returned the gesture.

 "You're probably right. I'm thinking way too deeply into all of this."

"Definitely. Now enough with all this boy drama, let's watch some fake TV drama instead!" With a click of the remote the screen was lit up once more, and Sam tried to distract herself with the show.

 A couple of days passed, and Josh hadn't come in for coffee. A couple of days turned into a week and a half, with no sign of him anywhere. Sam tried not to think about him, tried not to think of how her little stunt was the obvious reason he wasn't coming. Jess was always right, had always been. Maybe not this time. 


	2. Do Not Disturb

"I mean, that was it. It _had_ to be, right?"

The time on his laptop read 3:47am, but Josh had long since grown past feeling tired. Chris, on the other hand, was tiredly rubbing at his eyes, glasses momentarily moved out of the way. He had been sleeping beforehand, but he had woken up at Josh's urgent texts demanding he answer Skype. Josh could easily see Ashley sleeping in the background of Chris's laptop camera, and it was the reason he spoke in a hushed whisper.

 "Look bro, it's like, four in the morning. You're going to have to run that by me one more time. What happened?"

"This girl. Sam, her name is Sam, and she works at the coffee shop I go to."

"All you drink is black coffee. You could, you know, just _buy_ a coffee machine. In the long run the investment would be cost efficient-"

"Chris, that is not the point right now. She gave me her phone number. She wrote it on my cup."

Chris paused for a moment, looking confused. "Okay, so? It's not like you've never had something like this happen before, just get rid of the number man, it's no big deal."

" I don't want to, _that's_ the problem. I like her," He said, the words tumbling out quickly, nervously. "I'd been talking to her for a couple of weeks when I came in before she gave me her number, but I haven't been back since."

A series of emotions flashed across Chris' face, surprise, excitement, and lastly concern. "Woah, wait. Not that this isn't amazing, because I can't remember you liking _anyone_ since Mich-"

Josh was giving him a look in warning, and Chris stopped himself before he could finish the name.

 "Since _you know who_ , but how long have you been avoiding her exactly? I mean if you like her, and she actually gave you her number, why not give her a call?"

"It's been two weeks. And I _can't_ call her, what if I try asking her out and she isn't interested at all? I mean, I was telling her how Beth might want to work there the day before that, maybe that's why she gave me it."

There was a smug smile on Chris' face now. "Oh, how the tables have turned."

"What?"

"Don't you see? This is the same scenario you harassed me about for over a _year_. She didn't want you to call about Beth dude, she likes you!"

"I can't be _sure_ ," Josh sighed, frustrated. Chris was still grinning.

 "Uh huh," and then, in a mock voice. " _When are you going to take her to the bone z-_ "

Josh ended the call and shut his laptop before Chris could finish his horrible impersonation. Chris was telling him the same thing he'd been struggling to convince himself of. That Sam liked him, that he should stop avoiding her and _call_ her. He'd put the number into his phone and hovered over the call button at least two dozen times, he'd backed out just as many.

 And when he asked Ash the next day she smiled at him and told him the same thing.

 "I think she really does like you Josh! You should go for it!"

The fear of rejection was gradually being outweighed by the desire to talk to her. So finally, after one too many weeks of contemplation and worry, he called her. The phone rang three times and his chest felt tight and his shoulders tense all the while.

 "Hello?"

 For a moment he couldn't say anything, and then he let out the breath he didn't know was holding in and spoke. "Hey. It's Josh, from the coffee shop."

 "Josh? You decided to call me back. Does that mean..?"

"Yeah, you gave me your number a while ago. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet. But I asked Beth and she said she wants to work there.."

The words came out on their own, and he cringed as they did, because he was ruining this, taking Chris and Ashley's advice and throwing it away in a brief panic. Beth didn't even know about the coffee shop, he had in fact planned on telling her but never got around to it. Not only was he backing out again, he was lying too.

 "Josh...Did you really think that's the reason I gave you my number?"

"I'm not really sure." He confessed quietly. "I was kind of hoping it wasn't."

"Well you didn't get your hopes up then. I was actually wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?" She sounded nervous, but still she said it. What he couldn't work up the courage to ask himself, she did.

 "Oh."

"Oh?" She mirrored in question.

"I mean yes. I'd love to, actually."

"Okay good, are you free next Friday?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Meet me at the the shop then. I have to study right now, but I'll talk to you later."

 Josh couldn't quite remember if he had said goodbye or not before he hung up the phone. He stared at the screen after the call ended, and he only noticed now that he was smiling. 

His phone rang once more, and he was pulled from the moment, checking the caller ID before bringing the phone to his ear once more. Before he could even utter a greeting Beth was speaking.

 "Josh, where are you? You said you'd come out to eat with us, remember?"

He had completely forgotten the time, and he had been mulling over calling Sam for much longer than he had originally thought before he had finally mustered the courage to do so. Beth and Hannah had made plans to go out to lunch, but his phone call with Sam was making it a little difficult for him to feel too guilty.

“I’m sorry Beth, I wasn’t looking at the time. Just give me a couple a minutes, alright? I'll be there." He was pulling on a jacket and looking for a pair of shoes even as he said this, his phone on speaker and placed hastily on the edge of his coffee table.

 "You _better_ be."

The threat in her voice sent a chill up his spine. This would be the third time he'd ditched on lunch with them, and it wasn't because he didn't want to. He'd never told them why, and in truth it was because he couldn't bring himself to go out for too long most times. But the will in Beth's voice was enough to have him grabbing his house key and stepping out the door before he could overthink it.

 ----

"You told Beth _what_?" Chris and Ash were staring at him in utter disbelief.

 "That I may or may not have gotten her a job interview at a coffee shop? I mean, it wasn't my intention, but Sam and I really had talked about it earlier-"

"After avoiding her lunch invites? And she didn't chew you out?" Chris marveled.

 "And you didn't ask Sam out? You talked about your sister on the phone with your crush?!" Ashley exclaimed, her concerns more focused on his love life.

 "Well I didn't really have to...she did."

 He winced a bit at the pairs enthusiastic congratulations. Maybe he should be happy about this too, but the very thought of the upcoming date overwhelmed him.

 "You don't sound very excited about this." Ashley noted after a moment, Chris nodding in agreement.

 "Yeah man, what's up? You actually got a date with pretty coffee shop Sam!"

 "One I'll probably screw up. What are the odds of me _not_ scaring her off?"

In unison they both said the same words he'd been hearing for days. "She likes you!"

"Okay, okay, right now she does. Or she thinks she does. I could still mess up, couldn't I?"

"You won't," there was a bit of excitement gleaming in Ashley's eyes now. "We'll help you get ready for it, alright?"

"We will..?" Chris nervously interjected. She shot him a look.

 "Of _course_ we will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm almost sure my chapter titles will only make sense to me but yeah >.> wow im taking forever to post these up sorry but I procrastinate basically everything so??? yeah


	3. Breathe in, Breathe out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! I've been bad! A terrible, cruel person...because I'm posting the final chapter of the three part Christmas fic I wrote months late :') I wanted to add an extra chapter at first, with Matt, Beth and Jessica, which I scrapped over and over because I couldn't get it right...for weeks... Then I lost the file I wrote this chapter on, thinking it was in a different account then it actually was. 
> 
> All in all, I'm terribly sorry, and there's no good excuse for the delay... I can't even guarantee that I''l be writing anymore Until Dawn for quite some time, as there are other things that I'm starting to write from other fandoms that have caught my interest ;-; but if anyone's still here to read this: I love you and appreciate the support, and thank you for waiting for this somewhat disappointing finale! <3

"Let me just fix your hair, alright?"

"Ashley, it's the third time you've wanted to 'fix' it."

Her brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Huh. I guess you're right, you guys are just going out to eat. Maybe I shouldn't worry too much?"

 Josh was about to comment on how she was acting like some doting mother on prom night, but Chris walked into the room with a small stack of papers.

 "Alright, so, I think these will help out. At least I think they're pretty good." Chris announced enthusiastically.

 "Uh, what _are_ they?"

" _Your eyes are blue, like the ocean. And baby I'm lost at sea_." Chris was grinning wide as he recited the line from the first page.

 There was a long moment of silence. Josh and Ashley exchanged a look of disbelief and horror.

 "Christopher, you thought the best way to help him prepare today was to print out a whole _packet_ of corny pickup lines?" Ashley groaned.

 "Her eyes aren't even _blue_." Josh added.

"Okay okay, I'm sure there's one in here about brown eyes! Or are hers green...?"

"That's not the point!" Ashley exclaimed.

 "You were totally into some of these when I used them Ash!"

"I put up with them for your sake. You don't need cheesy lines to impress people, believe it or not Chris!"

Josh eyed her strangely, and she gasped in accusation. "Don't tell me you were considering them!"

 "Well, you know, it's just-"

"I told you!" Chris cut in triumphantly.

The sound of the door bell ringing cut off the argument entirely.

 "It's Hannah." Ashley breathed.

"You invited my sister over when I have to leave for my date in what? Ten minutes?"

 "Well...I may have told her you have a date, and you know how Hannah gets. She invited herself over."

"Ash, you _told_ her?" He groaned, glancing to Chris, who was still musing over his discarded pick up lines.

 "Let me in!" Hannah bellowed from the door, the bell obnoxiously ringing several more times.

 Josh actually had to put a bit of effort into not stomping towards the door like some distraught child. He loved his sister, and Hannah's passion for romance was endearing, but he was stressed about his date. His heart was beating out a marathon and hands were a little bit sweaty and his mind was clouded with every bad possibility. It wasn't as if he'd never been on a date, as to why he was so worried wasn't clear to even him.

 "Josh," she looked him over when he opened the door, a cheerful light in her eyes. "You look great! What's her name? Ashley told me she worked at the coffee shop you're always going to now?"

"Sam, her name's Sam." He couldn't but smile at her enthusiasm.

 Hannah was hugging him and asking a handful of questions at a time, and Chris and Ash had made their way over to the door as well, Ashley and Hannah exchanging smiles. Chris had left the papers behind.

 "No more pick up lines, Cochise?"

"I mean some of them really were good, and I _know_ you can be cheesy too. But I don't think you need them. You'll think of something clever, you always do." Chris was smiling, and the sincerity in his voice helped to calm Josh's nerves a bit. He had to bid them goodbye then though, because if he didn't leave now he was almost certain he'd be late.

 ----

It was just some small local restaurant. Sam often went here to eat with Matt and Jess, and she had thought the nostalgia would help to calm her nerves a little bit more than this.

 They had already ordered and unusually enough both were almost completely silent. Josh was giving her that look again, and this time she was certain she could place the admiration in his eyes. Despite this, the silence was making her terribly tense, their silent staring contest a little awkward.

 "You're usually a better conversationalist than this. Anything on your mind?" She inquired.

 "Sorry, I'm just a little bit..."

"Nervous? You aren't the only one."

 "Well, that's good to know at least." The tension was starting to dissipate, if only a little, so Sam decided to get some sort of conversation started. They had only arrived a few minutes ago, but silence between them felt odd, because it seemed as if they'd known each other much longer than they actually had. At least to her it did.

 "By the way, your sister stopped by the shop." The look of disbelief on his face had her grinning.

 "Wait, _Beth_ did?"

"Yeah, she asked for a job application, almost demanding, really. Jessica and her got along almost too well."

"Huh, so she actually went..." The words were almost too quiet for her to hear.

"Oh? So you did tell her!"

 "It's a funny story, actually..."

After that the conversation flowed easily, and they ended up staying until nearly closing time. It was comfortable and familiar, like all the other pleasant conversations they'd had. Josh kept brushing his fingers against hers under the table, and on their way out she took his hand in hers.

 "Geez, Josh, your hand is freezing!"

"Maybe yours is just really warm." He said teasingly, his fingers lacing together with hers.

"Uh huh, _right_."

They left laughing, hand in hand, and she couldn't help but marvel at how natural it felt, at how well they worked. She held to his hand more tightly as they made their way back to her car. 

**Author's Note:**

> sooooooo first chapter!!! i hope people read this because i know the description sucks but im not good at summaries! stick around for more uwu
> 
> also a big thanks to [ queenlara ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/queenlara/pseuds/queenlara) for being my beta for this!! shes such a sweetheart and her fics are lovely so please go check them out :0


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